Passive wireless switch circuit and related apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11024479-B2
Application number	US-201916584270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2019
Priority date	Sep 6, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A passive wireless switch circuit and related apparatus are provided. In examples discussed herein, an apparatus includes a smaller number of voltage circuits configured to control a larger number of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches. The voltage circuits passively generate a number of constant voltages based on a number of radio frequency (RF) signals to collectively identify each of the MEMS switches. A decoder circuit decodes the constant voltages to identify a selected MEMS switch and provides a selected constant voltage higher than a defined threshold voltage to close the selected MEMS switch. As such, it may be possible to eliminate active components and/or circuits from the passive wireless switch circuit, thus helping to reduce leakage and power consumption. It may be further possible to reduce conductive traces between the voltage circuits and the MEMS switches, thus helping to reduce routing complexity and footprint of the apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first number of voltage circuits configured to:
absorb a first number of radio frequency (RF) signals in a first number of selected frequency bandwidths and corresponding to a first number of RF voltages, respectively; and
generate a first number of constant voltages based on the first number of RF voltages, respectively;

a second number of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches each configured to be closed in response to receiving a selected constant voltage exceeding a defined threshold voltage; and
a decoder circuit coupled between the first number of voltage circuits and the second number of MEMS switches and configured to:
receive the first number of constant voltages from the first number of voltage circuits, respectively;
decode the first number of constant voltages to determine a selected MEMS switch among the second number of MEMS switches; and
provide the selected constant voltage among the first number of constant voltages to the selected MEMS switch to close the selected MEMS switch.

Assignees

• Qorvo Us Inc

Inventors

• Khlat Nadim

Classifications

• Y02B90/20

  Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector (smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00) · CPC title

• H01H59/0009 Primary

  making use of micromechanics · CPC title

• H03H9/15

  Constructional features of resonators consisting of piezoelectric or electrostrictive material (H03H9/25 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03H9/02007

  of bulk acoustic wave devices · CPC title

• Y04S20/14

  Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers · CPC title